Houston homicide investigator relived of duty after bigamy allegations

A 34-year-old Houston police homicide investigator was relieved of duty after authorities began looking into allegations of bigamy against the officer, officials said Friday.

Homicide investigator David Keith Gunter Jr., who joined HPD in 2001, was relieved of duty Wednesday due to an investigation of criminal allegations, said HPD spokesman Victor Senties. He would not reveal any further details of the investigation.

Sally Ring, a staff attorney with the Houston Police Officer's Union representing Gunter, said the department's internal affairs division is investigating allegations of bigamy against the investigator.

"Due to the fact that there is a pending criminal and pending administrative investigation, he's not going to issue a comment at this time," she said. "We want the investigation to run its course with integrity."

Ring said she was not aware of Gunter's current marital status or the specifics of the allegations against him.

Court documents show that Gunter's ex-wife, 24-year-old Sarah Rivas Gunter, filed for divorce on May 25, less than a year after county records show they married. In her petition for divorce, Sarah Rivas Gunter accused David Gunter of cruel treatment toward her and committing adultery.

"(David Gunter) and I separated on or about May 16, 2011. Since this time I have learned that (David Gunter) has moved to another home, with another woman and does not plan on returning to our home," court records state. "I have also learned that he is having an affair and claims we were never married."

Married in June

On June 17, less than a month after the divorce filing, David Gunter married another Houston woman in Florida, according to a copy of a marriage certificate from Walton County, where the couple wed.

Public records show that the woman on the marriage certificate is listed as living at an address that matches the location of Gunter's residence stated in his ex-wife's divorce petition. She could not be reached for comment.

Sarah Rivas Gunter and David Gunter were granted a divorce Jan. 20. Sarah Rivas Gunter's divorce attorney, Karen Rundlof , declined to comment about the case.

Another marriage

According to Texas law, people accused of bigamy can mount a defense by claiming they could legally remarry because they "reasonably believed" a prior marriage had either been annulled or dissolved by divorce or death.

Gunter also was previously married to another woman in Harris County from 2002 to 2008.

Gunter has had seven internal affairs complaints at HPD sustained against him for infractions ranging from at-fault accidents, improper conduct and behavior, failing to attend court sessions, and not following extra employment regulations, according to an HPD database of complaints.

james.pinkerton@chron.com

anita.hassan@chron.com

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